Description
A creamy and flavorful pasta dish featuring spaghetti tossed in a rich tomato cream sauce made with garlic, onion, tomato passata, and parmesan cheese. This quick and comforting recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner and serves 4 people.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 300g/10 oz spaghetti
- 1 tsp dried basil (or other herb of choice)
- 1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (or 1 bouillon cube, crumbled)
- Finely ground pepper and salt to taste
Dairy
- 2 tbsp / 30g unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup / 185 ml heavy/thickened cream
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml low-fat milk
- 3/4 cup / 30g parmesan cheese, finely freshly grated
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup / 250 ml tomato passata (tomato puree)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions minus 2 minutes to keep it slightly undercooked. Just before draining, reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water for later use.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped onion, cooking until translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Make Sauce: Stir in the tomato passata, heavy cream, low-fat milk, dried basil, chicken or vegetable stock powder, and grated parmesan cheese. Stir continuously until the parmesan melts into the sauce. Increase heat slightly and let the sauce simmer gently for 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Toss Pasta: Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings well to the spaghetti rather than pooling at the bottom. If the sauce is too thick, use some of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it to your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and parsley if desired for extra flavor and presentation.
Notes
- Note 1: Tomato passata can be substituted with smooth tomato puree if needed.
- Note 2: Heavy cream can be substituted with half-and-half or a mixture of milk and cream for a lighter version.
- Note 3: Freshly grated parmesan is preferred for best melting and flavor.
- Note 4: Stock powder or bouillon cube enhances the savory depth of the sauce.
- Reserved pasta water helps to adjust sauce consistency and helps the sauce adhere better to the pasta.
